separate

/ˈsɛpərət/
noun
  1. A piece of clothing that can be worn with others to form an outfit (often plural: separates).
    • Separates are popular because they offer more outfit combinations.
    • She bought a few separates that she can mix and match.
    • The store sells skirts, blouses, and other separates.
adjective
  1. Forming a unit by itself; not joined or united with others.
    • Please put the recyclables in a separate bin.
    • Each child has a separate bedroom.
    • The two issues are separate and should be handled independently.
  2. Different or distinct; not the same.
    • We stayed at separate hotels during the trip.
    • The report covers three separate topics.
    • They have separate opinions on the matter.
verb
  1. To cause to move or be apart; to divide or disconnect.
    • Please separate the white clothes from the dark ones before washing.
    • The teacher asked the students to separate into groups of four.
    • A fence separates the two properties.
  2. To distinguish or treat as distinct; to differentiate.
    • It is important to separate facts from opinions in a debate.
    • The company separates its products into different categories for easier shopping.
    • Can you separate the good apples from the bad ones?
  3. To stop living together as a couple (often used for married partners).
    • After years of arguing, they decided to separate.
    • They separated amicably and remained friends.
    • The couple separated last year but are not yet divorced.
What does "separate" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean